Arrangement for orienting multi-track vehicles in the direction of travel in car parks

ABSTRACT

An arrangement is provided for orienting multi-track vehicles in a direction of travel in car parks or in garages, wherein arrows which show the direction of travel and floor markings which indicate the parking spaces are provided on the floor of the parking area and/or on the walls of the garage as well as on free-standing indicator boards. Different markings and installed components which form lateral boundaries are provided between the parking areas, in order to achieve corresponding economy of space and also to facilitate exiting from vehicles, wherein a wide footpath, characterized by marking or an installed component and a narrow boundary device, characterized by an installed component or a marking, are provided alternately, wherein they each respectively serve as a parking lane boundary.

This nonprovisional application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2011/062324, which was filed on Jul. 19, 2011, and which claims priority to Austrian Patent Application No. A1359/2010, which was filed in Austria on Aug. 13, 2010, and which are both herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an arrangement for orienting multi-track motor vehicles in a direction of travel in parking lots or in parking garages, whereby arrows showing the direction of travel and floor markings indicating parking places are provided on the floor of the parking area and/or on garage walls, as well as on free-standing sign boards.

2. Background of the Invention

In conventional parking structures or in parking lots, the individual parking spaces are identified by markings on the floor, whereby the width of the parking space is adjusted to the average width of conventional vehicles. The width of the parking space varies here between 2.3 and 2.5 m. In the past, this parking place width was easily sufficient, but now motor vehicles have become much wider, as a result of which the current size of parking places is often insufficient. Thus, mid-size cars have become between 17 and 20 cm wider on average; this has the effect in narrow parking place widths that the doors can be opened less widely, which makes getting out of the vehicle very difficult. Because conversion of garages is generally not possible, and is also generally rejected for economic reasons, the vehicle driver must be content with small parking places, which often has the result that not inconsiderable parking-related damage occurs due to carelessly opened doors or collision with walls.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to adapt existing parking structures with predetermined space allowances so that sufficient room remains for the vehicle driver to be able to exit the vehicle. This is essential particularly also in the case of two-door cars, because such vehicles have larger doors, which make it possible to get into the back seats. Such larger doors, however, also results in the opening angle of the door being more limited, which also makes exiting more difficult for the driver.

According to an embodiment of the invention, pre-drawn parking spaces markings and installed components of different width, which form lateral boundaries, are provided, whereby a wide footpath, similar to a crosswalk, identified by marking or an installed component, and a narrow demarcation device identified by an installed component or marking, both as a parking lane demarcation, are arranged alternately. The placement of the vehicles to the effect that the driver door is arranged in the area of the wide, crosswalk-like marking or installed component makes it possible to exit the vehicle comfortably, whereby the space near the passenger door can be kept small; as a result, the best possible space utilization and good accessibility to the vehicle interior through the driver door are provided despite a small available space.

Other advantages of the subject matter of the invention are also that an increase in the value of the garages can be achieved because of the better usability of any garage, which was avoided so far due to the space problems. Installation or renovation costs are therefore low relative to the total value of the garage, whereby construction periods are short and low in noise without significant interference in existing systems. Parking facilities can also be used for business purposes, namely, by professional drivers with small commercial vehicles, such as minibuses, taxis, or minivans. With proper parking by all motorists, surprises due to doors, which are blocked by parking and prevent or make getting into the car very difficult, are prevented.

A further advantage, not to be underestimated, is also that tall or obese individuals, who because of the limited opening angle of the driver door at present have either avoided such garages or, contrary to rules, have parked the vehicle so that parking next to the vehicle was no longer possible. This is the case also especially with vehicles with a separate access door to the back seats, because such doors due to the vehicle B-pillar, which is set back further, require more space, to clear the exit opening from the vehicle to such an extent that tall or obese people can exit the vehicle more easily.

A further consideration is also that so much space is kept free between the vehicles in the area of the driver doors that mothers with baby carriages can also pass easily between vehicles. This also applies to the use of luggage carts or shopping carts.

Finally, also because the driver doors are not directly opposite each other due to the opposite orientation of the vehicles, the outwardly protruding side mirrors are not next to one another. This should be noted at present, because generally side mirrors already protrude far outwards, whereby because of the opposite arrangement the side mirrors are offset in the longitudinal direction of the parking space, so that passing through is easily made possible. This advantage also has an effect in the area of the passenger door, because thereby due to the offset arrangement bumping by outside mirrors against one another is prevented.

Advantageously, the installed components can be made as prefabricated parts, which are attached to the finished floor of the parking place or garage. In this way, existing parking structures can also be retrofitted in a simple manner, whereby due to the installations car drivers are encouraged to park the vehicles properly. In this case, the installed components, formed as prefabricated parts, can be attached removably, preferably by means of a locking device. If necessary, it is possible as a result to achieve a modification of the particular parking arrangement. The detachable formation of the installed components provides the option of a test run, because the prefabricated, possibly temporary prefabricated parts are simple to install or dismantle.

To make it easier for drivers to adhere to the parking arrangement, driving direction arrows indicating the parking direction can be applied in the pre-drawn parking spaces, or analogously on the garage walls or other signs, in garages or free parking spaces, whereby the parking direction for parking the vehicle with the driver door arranged at the wide marking or the wide installation component is established by the driving direction arrows. In this way, unfamiliar car drivers are told the direction in which they are to park the car to be able to exit and enter comfortably and also to save space. An interesting psychological advantage is also that despite the installation of this parking system theoretically it would still always be possible for the user to approach the parking places in an individual manner, which however should not be the goal but cannot be ruled out. This should also convince skeptics who live according to their motto that everything new should be questioned in principle and must first be carefully examined.

In an embodiment, the narrow installed component for the parking lane demarcation can be configured as a parking curb preventing crossing, a wheel stopper, speed bump, divider, barrier tape, mobile partition, or plastic strips as a demarcation curtain in garages, hanging from the garage ceiling, and/or optionally it can be expanded by additional electronic safety devices, preferably light barriers with acoustic warning signals when the demarcation device is driven over, acoustic warning signals when the tire contacts the demarcation barrier or comparable technical developments. Finally, instead of the narrow installed component a partition can be provided which is equipped with suitable scratch protection, impact protection, warning markings, or other devices to prevent collision of the vehicle with the respective wall during the parking process.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows schematically a plan view of the arrangement with the aid of the parking place demarcations according to an embodiment the invention.

FIGS. 2 and FIG. 3 show vertical sections of different demarcation devices.

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the installed components in cross section, whereby guiding components, which indicate when the wheel comes too close to the demarcation device, are provided in addition to the side of the installed components.

FIG. 5 shows schematically a demarcation device designed as a pressure sensor, whereby the pressure sensor is designed to the effect that it triggers an optical or acoustic signal when there is pressure on the edge of the demarcation device.

FIG. 6 shows a design adapted for garages with a ceiling, whereby the demarcation device comprises sensors emitting vertically downward from the garage ceiling, which trigger an optical or acoustic signal when parts of a vehicle enter the sensing range.

FIG. 7 is a design similar to that in FIG. 6 but instead of sensors, freely floating plastic strips are provided, which indicate by their movement when the vehicle protrudes beyond the provided parking space.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is evident from the schematic illustration of the subject matter of the invention in FIG. 1 how, on the one hand, space can be saved and, on the other, parking damage to other vehicles by inattention during parking can be prevented. The number (1) is used to designate motor vehicles of a different design and size, between which suitable markings and installed components (2) with a greater width and installed components and markings (3) with a smaller width are arranged. The installed components or markings (2) are illustrated in a different embodiment in FIG. 1, whereby the option is also indicated of forming only the side demarcations 2′ as installed components and of providing a continuous, planar space between them. The number (4) is used to designate a partition or a demarcation, which can be present instead of the installed components (3) or markings.

The installations 2 or 3 can be either flat, as shown in FIG. 2, or, as shown in FIG. 3, designed as high curb, whereby in both cases the transition from the side walls to the top surface is rounded, to prevent damage to car tires. According to FIG. 2, the installed component is anchored to the floor by screws (5), or, according to FIG. 3, by means of a removable locking device (6). The precise structure of said locking device is not essential in the present case inasmuch as a range of different systems are known to the person skilled in this field. As already indicated, this makes it possible to install this type of demarcation arrangement for parking spaces on a trial basis or to change it during operation according to requirements.

In another embodiment, according to FIG. 4, instead of the installed components (2) (3), a molded article (7) is provided, which is flat on the bottom and made approximately trapezoidal in cross section. Side connecting parts (8), to which tubes (9), running in the longitudinal direction, or similar profile parts are attached, which enable driving over by car tires without damaging them, are placed at the bottom edges. The molded article (7) is anchored to the floor via connecting parts (8) by means of screws (10). The number (11) designates car tires, whereby proper parking is shown on the left side of FIG. 4 and the right part of FIG. 4 shows that a tire can drive onto the tubes without any problems and moreover is impeded by hollow body (7) from going beyond the demarcation of the parking space.

Another embodiment is provided in that flat signal transmitters (20), which trigger acoustic or optical signals when driven over by a vehicle tire, are placed on the floor. Such pressure sensors can be selected by the person skilled in the art without difficulty from the pressure sensors available on the market. A plurality of pressure sensors can also be provided below the plates, along the longitudinal edges; this achieves that a corresponding signal is triggered at each position that is driven over. The pressure sensors are indicated with (12) in FIG. 5.

In garages in which a roof or ceiling is provided above the parking places, according to FIG. 6, sensors (14), which monitor the approach of a motor vehicle and emit a suitable signal when the parking place boundary is overrun, can be provided in the roof or ceiling area along the demarcation of the parking places. In FIG. 6, the garage ceiling is designated by (13), to which the sensors (14) are attached, as described above. The corresponding marking is provided on the floor.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 7, a ceiling (15) is also provided, but instead of sensors, plastic strips (15) or similar indications of the demarcation hang down from it, which allow the driver to estimate the position of the vehicle more precisely, and which when touched by the vehicle indicate to the vehicle driver based on their movement that the vehicle has gone beyond the boundary of the parking space.

As is evident in addition from FIG. 1, driving direction arrows (16), which indicate the direction in which the vehicle is to be parked, are provided in the individual parking spaces. The point of the arrow in this case indicates the front of the vehicle. This means that the car drawn in FIG. 1 in the parking place seen in FIG. 1 is driven into the parking place with its front being forward. In the parking place in the longitudinal direction of the parking place directly adjacent before the parked vehicle, a vehicle is placed with the trunk first in the parking space, so that the two vehicles are arranged behind one another in the direction of travel. In the present case, for left-hand drive vehicles, this means that a wide marking or a wide installed component (2) is provided next to the driver door and a narrow marking or a narrow installed component (3) on the side facing away from the driver side. The individual markings or installed components must be dimensioned here so that with precise driving into the parking place, especially on the side facing away from the driver door, there still is sufficient room to be able to drive past projecting vehicle parts, such as, e.g., side mirrors or the like, if there is an adjacent vehicle, or not to bump vehicle parts projecting there, also, for example, side mirrors. Right-hand drive vehicles accordingly must be maneuvered into the parking place opposite to the drawn driving direction arrows.

For special cases, as in handicapped parking places or in parking places for cars with a greater width, the dimensions can then be selected so that the installations do not impede the maneuvering into the space or also during exiting of a disabled individual.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An arrangement for orienting multi-track motor vehicles in a direction of travel in parking lots or in parking garages, wherein arrows showing the direction of travel and floor markings indicating parking places are provided on the floor of the parking area and/or on the garage walls and/or on free-standing sign boards, wherein between the pre-drawn parking spaces markings and/or installed components of different widths, which form lateral boundaries, are provided, wherein a wide footpath, identified by marking or an installed component and a narrow demarcation device identified by an installed component or marking, both in each case as a parking lane demarcation, are arranged alternately.
 2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the installed components are made as prefabricated parts, which are attached to the finished floor of the parking place or garage.
 3. The arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the installed components are configured as prefabricated parts, and are attached removably via a locking device.
 4. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein driving direction arrows indicating the parking direction are applied in the pre-drawn parking spaces, on the garage walls or other signs in garages or free parking spaces, and wherein the parking direction for parking the vehicle with the driver door arranged at the wide marking or the wide installed component is established by the driving direction arrows.
 5. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the narrow installed component for the parking lane demarcation is designed as a parking curb preventing crossing, a wheel stopper, speed bump, divider, barrier tape, mobile partition, or plastic strips as a demarcation curtain in garages, hanging from the garage ceiling, and/or is expanded by additional electronic safety devices or light barriers with acoustic warning signals when the demarcation device is driven over, acoustic warning signals when the tire contacts the demarcation barrier threshold or comparable technical devices.
 6. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a static partition is provided which is equipped with suitable scratch protection, impact protection, warning markings, or other devices to prevent collision of the vehicle with the respective wall during the parking process. 